6 States That Are Theft Hotspots
Is your state a hot spot for larceny? Also called theft, larceny crimes are distinguished by the perpetrator's intent to permanently deprive the victim of personal property. Examples of larceny include shoplifting, burglary, pickpocketing, robbery and fraud. Let's count down the top six U.S. states with soaring larceny rates, according to 2022 data, so you can protect yourself!
6. New Mexico
New Mexico may be called the Land of Enchantment, but residents likely feel less than enchanted with the state's crime index. For every 100,000 New Mexico residents, 1,838.4 per year become victims of some type of larceny. Lordsburg, New Mexico, stands out as one of the most vulnerable cities, with 2,831 thefts per 100,000 residents.
5. Louisiana
Coming in at No. 5, the Pelican State ranks at 1,940 larceny-theft crimes per 100,000 residents. The metro areas contributing most to this high rate include New Orleans-Metairie, Shreveport-Bossier City, and Baton Rouge. The New Orleans-Metairie area alone ranks fifth among U.S. metro areas for this particular type of crime, so be on the lookout if you live here or plan to visit.
4. Colorado
A whopping 1,966.7 of every 100,000 residents of the Centennial State have had their personal property stolen. If you live in the following three metro areas, you're at a particularly high risk for this type of crime: the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area, the Boulder area, and the Grand Junction area. In fact, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood ranks seventh highest among U.S. metro areas.
3. Oregon
The Beaver State beats out Colorado for the No. 3 spot on this list, with 2,023 larceny-theft crimes per 100,000 residents. The city of Salem, Oregon, in particular stands out as a larceny hotbed, ranking 68th among U.S. metro areas.
2. Washington
The Evergreen State is booming with this particular time of crime, reporting 2,154 larcenies per 100,000 residents. Of all the state's metro areas, the Spokane-Spokane Valley area and the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area stand out as the most prominent offenders contributing to this high theft index.
1. District of Columbia
Although technically the District of Columbia is a district and not a state, we can't leave the nation's capital off this list, as it blows all 50 states out of the water when it comes to this type of crime. With 2,783 larceny-thefts per 100,000 residents, Washington ranks highest in the nation for personal property theft.
If you plan to visit or you live in any of these six states - particularly the metro areas mentioned - you'll want to take extra precautions to protect your personal property on an ongoing basis. Simply by securing your belongings, never leaving them unattended, and reporting any incidents promptly, you can reduce your chance of becoming a victim of larceny.
References: Larceny theft rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the United States in 2022, by state | The US states most impacted by retail crime | American Cities With the Highest Larceny-Theft Rate | Metropolitan areas with the highest larceny theft rate in the United States in 2020 | New Mexico Crime Index City Rank
